Make It

2. Spread cookies with a layer of frosting, then press into green sugar crystals. Place in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; set aside. Spread a thin layer of frosting on ice-cream cones. Roll each cone in a different-color sugar; set aside.

3. Place five scoops of ice cream on a plate. Freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Tint second can of frosting bright yellow. Fill and frost cake layers. With orange icing, pipe a pattern of wide X's around side of cake. With blue icing, pipe dots where X's meet.

5. Top each cookie with a scoop of ice cream, pressing down gently to make scoops adhere. Top each scoop with an ice-cream-cone hat. Freeze 20 minutes, or until ice cream is very firm.

6. Remove from freezer. Working quickly, pipe an orange ruffle around bottom of each cone and a pom-pom at top. Refreeze 10 minutes.

7. With blue icing, pipe eyes and mouths on clown faces and buttons on hats. (Ice-cream clowns can be made up to two days ahead.) Immediately before serving, arrange clown ice-cream cones in a circle on top of cake.